Tag Archives: The Salsoul Orchestra
DISCO RECHARGE-JOHN DAVIS AND THE MONSTER ORCHESTRA-NIGHT AND DAY AND UP JUMPED THE DEVIL.
DISCO RECHARGE-JOHN DAVIS AND THE MONSTER ORCHESTRA-NIGHT AND DAY AND UP JUMPED THE DEVIL. One of the phenomenon’s of the disco era, was the arrival of the disco orchestra. Obviously, the best known and without doubt, best, and most successful was The Salsoul Orchestra. It was founded by Vince Montana Jr, in 1975 and played …
CAROL WILLIAMS-‘LECTRIC LADY.
CAROL WILLIAMS-‘LECTRIC LADY. In late 1975, Carol Williams became the first Lady of of Salsoul. Carol, one of the original disco divas, became the first female singer to sign for Salsoul. At Salsoul Records, Carol worked with Vince Montana Jr, the man behind the rise and rise of The Salsoul Orchestra. With Vince at her side, Carol Williams disco …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH. The Salsoul Orchestra were formed in 1974 by members of Philadelphia International Records’ legendary studio band M.F.S.B. They left Philadelphia International Records after a dispute with Gamble and Huff over finances. Gamble and Huff’s loss would prove to be Salsoul’s gain. It’s fair to say that between their formation in 1974 …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-STREET SENSE. 1978 was a landmark year for Salsoul Records.Vince Montana Jr, the man who created, conducted, arranged and produced many of The Salsoul Orchestra albums left the label. He’d been at The Salsoul Orchestra’s helm between their 1975 eponymous album and 1978s Up The Yellow Brick Road. When Vince left Salsoul, after a dispute with …
MAJOR HARRIS-HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR LOVE.
MAJOR HARRIS-HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR LOVE. Two years after the release of his 1976 sophomore album Jealousy, Major Harris returned with How Do You Take Your Love, which was rereleased by Funkytown Grooves on 21st January 2014. How Do You Take Your Love found Major Harris’ career at a crossroads. His 1975 debut album …
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-QUEEN OF THE NIGHT.
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-QUEEN OF THE NIGHT. Having signed Loleatta Holloway to Gold Mind Records in 1976, Loleatta’s producer and mentor Norman Harris set about giving Loleatta a makeover. He started transforming the Southern Soul singer in the a disco diva on her debut album Loleatta. After her Sasloul debut Loleatta was released, Loleatta Holloway’s makeover to …
CHARO AND THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-CUCHI-CUCHI.
CHARO AND THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-CUCHI-CUCHI. Having been discovered by bandleader Xavier Cugat Maria del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza, or Charo as she became, went on to become one of the highest paid performers in America during the early seventies. Reputedly, actress, singer and guitarist Charo was paid as much as Rat Pack members …
DAN HARTMAN-RELIGHT MY FIRE.
DAN HARTMAN-RELIGHT MY FIRE. Nostalgia it seems is the future. Everyone it seems wants to relive the music of their youth. So a few years ago, major record companies started releasing classic albums. Now it’s no longer just classic albums being released. A whole host of new reissues labels have been founded. They’re digging deep, deeper than before. Every …
THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 6.
THE A-Z OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2013 PART 6. THE CURTIS COUNCE QUINTET-EXPLORING THE FUTURE. One of jazz’s best kept secrets is hard bop and West Coast jazz double bassist Curtis Counce. He may not have enjoyed the longevity of many of his contemporaries, but was one of the leading lights of West Coast …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-MAGIC JOURNEY.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-MAGIC JOURNEY. By 1977, The Salsoul Orchestra had established their reputation as disco’s premier orchestra. They’d been formed in 1975, and had already released a trio of albums, where disco, Philly Soul, funk, jazz, Latin and classical music were seamlessly fused. Much of the emphasis was on individual members stepping into spotlight and …
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOVE SENSATION.
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOVE SENSATION. There’s a certain symmetry that in return for Loleatta Holloway adding a vocal on what became one of Dan Hartman’s biggest hit singless, Relight My Fire, that Dan returned this favor by writing one of Loleatta’s most successful singles, Love Sensation. This story starts back in 1979, when Dan Hartman was about …
BUNNY SIGLER-LET ME PARTY WITH YOU.
BUNNY SIGLER-LET ME PARTY WITH YOU. Bunny Sigler seemed to have been around the Philadelphia music scene forever, by the time he signed to Norman Harris’ new label Gold Mind Records, where he’d release his fifth album Let Me Party With You in 1978. Eleven years before, Bunny had released his debut album Let the …
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-LOCKER ROOM.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-LOCKER ROOM. Following the trials and tribulations that surrounded Double Exposure’s sophomore album Fourplay, Locker Room their third and final album, which was recently released by Octave Records, proved to relatively plain sailing. Having released their debut album Ten Percent in 1976, there was a two year delay with the followup. This was due to …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-NICE ‘N’ NASTY.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-NICE ‘N’ NASTY. Regular readers of this blog will have realized that two of my favorite labels are Philadelphia International Records and Salsoul Records. To me, both labels represent everything that’s good about music. This is real music, music played my real musicians, music that’s soulful and timeless. There isn’t a sampler, sequencer …
LOVE COMMITTEE-LAW AND ORDER.
LOVE COMMITTEE-LAW AND ORDER. Gold Mind Records was subsidiary of Salsoul Records, run by legendary Philadelphia guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer, Norman Harris. Norman was responsible for running the label, discovering the talent and with some of his Philly friends, writing, recording and producing these acts. Loleatta Holloway, First Choice and Double Exposure are just …
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y.
BAKER, HARRIS, YOUNG-B-H-Y. By 1979 Ron Baker, Norman Harris and Earl Young were still the hardest working and most in-demand rhythm section in music. They were currently part of The Salsoul Orchestra and accompanying artists like the undisputed Queen of Disco, Loleatta Holloway, First Choice and Double Exposure. They’d done everything, from writing, arranging and …
THE BEAT GOES ON: SALSOUL CLASSICS MIXED BY TOWA TEI.
THE BEAT GOES ON: SALSOUL CLASSICS MIXED BY TOWA TEI. Recently, there seems to be no end of disco compilations being released. Every week, it seems, another batch of disco compilations hits the shops. Many people have been wondering why? Luckily for them, I can put them out of their misery. This is officially the …
BACK TO MY ROOTS: DJ NORRI’S SALSOUL MIX.
BACK TO MY ROOTS: DJ NORRI’S SALSOUL MIX. Nine years after the release of The Salsoul Orchestra’s debut single Salsoul Hustle in 1975, what had been disco’s premier label, closed its doors for the final time. Having released 100 albums and 200 twelve inch singles, Salsoul Records had enjoyed a longevity few other disco labels …
MURO-DIGGIN’ SALSOUL BREAKS.
MURO-DIGGIN’ SALSOUL BREAKS. Despite closing its doors nearly thirty years ago, interest in Salsoul Records has never been higher. A new generation of music lovers are rediscovering what was undoubtably disco’s premier label. So too, are a new generations of DJs. Realizing that Salsoul Records’ illustrious back-catalogue is a goldmine for killer tracks and elusive …
BEN E. KING-I HAD A LOVE.
BEN E. KING-I HAD A LOVE. In 1975, Ben E. King returned to Atlantic Records, where he’d spent much of the sixties. The success he’d enjoyed back in the sixties was eluding him. Maybe going back to the label where he enjoyed the most successful period of his career. This proved to be the case. Ben’s …
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